The present invention relates to electronic loads, and more particularly to high efficiency electronic loads.
Historically, when loads are applied to power sources, such as for testing purposes, resistive loads are employed for a test period. When power is applied to the loads (such as load resistors or electronic loads used for testing power supplies) the power is dissipated in the form of heat. Because the dissipated power (i.e., the heat) is generally not employed for any useful purpose, the dissipated power is generally wasted, i.e., expended in the process of powering the resistive load.
For example, to provide a test load for a 15,000 Watt power supply 15,000 Watts of power is wasted for whatever test period that is employed. Saving or partially saving this wasted power would provide a significant savings, which may realistically result in the cost of a more efficient, i.e., less wasteful, electronic load unit being recovered each and every year after deployment.
What is needed, therefore, is a high efficiency electronic load for use in applications, such as power supply testing, that reduces power waste and thereby reduces costs.
The present invention addresses the needs above as well as others.
The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a high efficiency electronic load comprising a switch mode power factor corrected input rectifier circuit that receives an alternating current voltage input and produces a high voltage positive and negative direct current voltage output. A high frequency switching inverter has an input coupled to the high voltage positive and negative direct current voltage output and produces an alternating current output. An output filter has an input coupled to the alternating current output and removes high frequency switching noise and delivers alternating current power back to an input alternating current power line of a unit under test, thereby increasing the efficiency of the high efficiency electronic load over the efficiency achieved by (for example) a resistive load.